"What a shame, it was too long, just a little too long!" Kirk exclaimed in disappointment as he watched the football slip through Ted Ginn's fingertips and fall to the ground. "We're always marveling at how Lu Ke shows a veteran's poise, not a rookie's. In just his first season, he's playing like a ten-year veteran, mature, calm, and decisive with accurate passes at crucial moments. But this one pass still shows a lack of experience, reminding us that he is still a rookie."
On the field, the referee was judging whether there was a foul on the defensive play. In the broadcast booth, Kirk and Teddy were watching the replay and giving a detailed breakdown of the play.
"It was third and seven. Lu Ke chose to move laterally and make a quick, 12-yard pass to the speedy Ted Ginn, hoping to complete the play with a fast throw and catch.
In fact, Michael Crabtree and Marcus Lynch were more open. But before the throw, Lu Ke's read was a bit hasty. He must have decided on his target before the throw, shortening the time it took to release the ball and the time the defenders had to react. This is a common habit-based mistake for all rookie quarterbacks."
On the screen, a video of Lu Ke moving laterally and making a quick throw played on a loop, making Kirk's commentary more vivid and clear.
"We can't be too harsh. In the past few games, Lu Ke has rarely shown this kind of habitual thinking. It only happens a few times, which is incredibly rare for a rookie. They need more game experience," Teddy offered a different perspective. "To be honest, Lu Ke's growth has already exceeded my expectations."
Kirk nodded in agreement and chuckled. "Forgive me for being a perfectionist."
He was undoubtedly one of Lu Ke's biggest supporters and hoped this undrafted rookie quarterback could make a name for himself. In the NFL, there is very little room for rookies to breathe.
Then, Kirk added, "In addition, at the moment of the throw, Lu Ke's power and trajectory were a bit too aggressive. For one, the accuracy of his short-to-medium passes isn't consistent enough. And two, his pass choices in crucial moments lean toward risk. It's a double-edged sword. If it works, the reward is great. If it fails, the cost is high."
"We can't be sure what the result of this incomplete pass will be. But for rookie players, this is the tuition they must pay to grow," Teddy agreed with Kirk. In today's game, Lu Ke had taken at least three aggressive chances in crucial moments. He was successful once and failed twice. The rookie's instability was inevitably exposed.
Of course, even veterans have moments of inconsistency. That's competitive sports. No one can perform at a high level all the time.
On the field, after the dispute, Ted Ginn didn't get a yellow flag. The referee determined that Tom Nelson's defense was clean. So, it was an incomplete pass on third and seven, which meant the San Francisco 49ers failed to convert and it was now fourth down.
At this point, even though the San Francisco 49ers' offense had crossed midfield, they still needed to advance another 12 to 15 yards to get into field goal range. With a fourth and seven, trying to go for it would have been a senseless risk. So, Jim Harbaugh took the offense off the field and sent in the special teams to punt.
This was the second time in the game that they had come so close to a field goal, only to fall short.
Lu Ke stood there, carefully replaying the entire drive in his mind. He shook his fist in frustration, then put all other thoughts out of his mind. He called his teammates off the field. Instead of sitting down, he stood with offensive coordinator Craig Roman and quarterback coach Kip Crichton, discussing the play they had just run and the opponent's defensive formation, confirming what he had seen on the field.
As a quarterback, he had to remain calm and objective.
It wasn't easy, especially after a last-minute failure. Anger and frustration were inevitable, and his mind was still racing with thoughts that he couldn't just turn off. He felt a bit irritable. But he had to do it. If he let his emotions cloud his judgment, the quarterback's next performance would be a complete disaster.
After immersing himself in tactical analysis, Lu Ke gradually calmed down. He analyzed his mistakes and the opponent's adjustments. His mind worked quickly, and the opponent's defensive formation became clearer.
"Wait, give me a minute." The amount of information was so large and complex that Lu Ke needed a moment to process it all. After slowly sorting through it, he shared his thoughts and asked the coaches for confirmation. Pretending to know something he didn't was a huge mistake for a quarterback. "So, what you're saying is..."
"Roar! Roar roar!"
Suddenly, the stadium erupted in cheers, washing over Lu Ke and the two coaches, interrupting their conversation. They all looked up and saw the Philadelphia Eagles' team celebrating on the field.
Another touchdown?
Lu Ke took a closer look at the field and sighed in relief. It wasn't a touchdown, but a field goal. Lu Ke didn't even know when the special teams had come on. He had been so engrossed in the conversation that he hadn't noticed the time passing or the changes around him. But luckily, it was only a field goal, not a touchdown.
The score was now 27-21, still within one touchdown of taking the lead. But if it had been a touchdown, it would have been 31-21, which would have required at least two more drives to catch up. That would not have been good news for the San Francisco 49ers.
Even so, Michael Vick, using his formidable skills, had kicked the field goal, pushing the 49ers to the edge of a cliff, hanging by a thread.
Lu Ke looked up at the scoreboard high above the field. It read: Two minutes and nine seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Next, the Philadelphia Eagles would kick off, and the San Francisco 49ers would return the kickoff to determine the starting position of their offense. After the return, the game would go into a two-minute warning timeout, which meant Lu Ke would lead the offense back on the field after the timeout.
The San Francisco 49ers' offense had two minutes, 120 seconds, left in the game.
He couldn't help but feel relieved that the score was 27-21, not 31-21. Otherwise, the situation would have been even more urgent, even hopeless. But even so, the game was still at its most tense, and they could not afford to make any mistakes.
Before taking the field again, Lu Ke stood on the sidelines and gathered all his offensive teammates. Without his helmet on, he looked each of them in the eye. "We have only one goal: a touchdown! Whether it's on first down or fourth down, that's our only option! I still believe we can win this game! Yes, I believe we can! So, I need everyone to focus, forget the time, forget the score, forget all distractions. Advance, that is our only goal!"
"I'm ready for a touchdown. Who's with me?" Lu Ke raised his right hand high, his fist clenched like a torch pointing to the center. His fiery gaze showed an unwavering belief, and then Lu Ke saw his teammates, one by one, slowly raise their clenched fists and hit them all together. Like sticks of firewood, they came together to form a bonfire!
Lu Ke nodded heavily. "Good! Now tell all the fans and everyone watching that we are!"
"Warriors!"
"We are!"
"Warriors!"
With a roar, all the players' fists hit each other hard, a satisfying thud that released all the passion in their chests. With immense pride, Lu Ke let out a primal roar. "Ah!" His fierce face and wild cry awakened the passion in every player. Everyone followed suit, yelling and roaring.
"Ah! Ahhh!" The beast within them was awakening, and their souls were filled with passion. In that moment, the San Francisco 49ers' offense was truly a single unit!
The suffocating tension was spreading through "Joe's Bar." It felt like even their heartbeats had stopped. But when the live camera focused on the offense on the sidelines, all the fans started to shout, "Bambi! Go! Bambi!"
Jeff Locke jumped up, his fists pumping. "Bambi! Bambi! Bambi!" It was a replay of the scene from the Rose Bowl night. In a desperate situation, all their hopes rested on Lu Ke's shoulders. He had successfully come back against the Wisconsin Badgers and the Dallas Cowboys. Now, could they come back against the Philadelphia Eagles?
Danny and Nate immediately understood Jeff's intention and joined in the shouting. The synchronized cheers gradually built up a powerful momentum that made their blood pump.
Chris and Jonathan exchanged a look. All the previous misunderstandings and animosity instantly vanished. They both smiled and joined in the shouting. "Bambi! Bambi! Bambi!" Finally, the entire bar became one, shouting in unison.
They knew they were in San Francisco, and the television screen was on the other side of North America. Their shouts would never reach the players. But they didn't care. They all stood shoulder to shoulder, shouting the same name, "Bambi!" It was as if their heartbeats were all synchronized to the same rhythm.
"Ahhh!" The unified shouting turned into cheers as Lu Ke led the offense onto the field. Everyone in the bar raised their hands and clapped, even Anthony Dinunzio, all cheering for the San Francisco 49ers.
This was the San Francisco 49ers' last chance. No touchdown, and the game was over. A touchdown, and they would come back and win. It was simple and clear!
On the previous kickoff return, the San Francisco 49ers had successfully gained nine yards. So, the offense would start their drive at their own 29-yard line. Their goal: the opponent's end zone!
✨ Announcement: Tier Benefits and New Series Launch
I'll be updating the number of exclusive chapters available for each tier!
For The King of the Bay Area, the early-access chapters will increase as follows:
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